48-Hour Movie Making Challenge The 48-Hour Movie Making Challenge at CUFF is back. Presented in partnership with NUTV, join us for the completed shorts showcase!
Adam's Apples (2005) A neo-Nazi sentenced to community service at a church clashes with the blindly devoted minister in this 2005 comedy from CUFF alumnus Anders Thomas Jensen (MEN & CHICKEN, RIDERS OF JUSTICE) starring Mads Mikkelsen
Amanda A coming of age story about a quirky 20-something who moves from Paris to Italy, and makes it her mission to form a true human connection, no matter how cringeworthy it may be.
Bad City It's the Korean mafia versus the yakuza in this high-action Japanese gangster film. When a corrupt businessman decides to run for mayor, a former police captain serving time for murder is secretly released and put in charge of a special task force to arrest him.
Biosphere In the not-too-distant future, the last two men on earth must adapt and evolve to save humanity, in veteran producer Mel Eslyn (THE ONE I LOVE)'s feature debut as director/co-writer (with Mark Duplass).
Birth/Rebirth A single mother and a childless morgue technician are bound together by their relationship to a little girl they have reanimated from the dead. A standout directorial debut that reimagines Mary Shelley’s classic horror myth FRANKENSTEIN with a contemporary understanding.
Black Barbie: A Documentary Through intimate access to a charismatic Mattel insider, Beulah Mae Mitchell, the documentary delves into the cross section of merchandise and representation as Black women strive to elevate their own voices and stories, refusing to be invisible.
Blackberry BLACKBERRY tells the story of Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel, CUFF 2020 selection RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton, IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA), the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.
Cash Cow In the Fall of 2020, a financially struggling actor camps and explores early Mormon historical sites as he anxiously awaits national broadcast for his Domino’s Pizza commercial.
Comic Book Confidential - National Canadian Film Day Free Screening 35th Anniversary Screening of the documentary COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL, which profiles twenty-two of the most significant artists and writers working in comic books, graphic novels and strip-art in North America today.
Confessions Of A Good Samaritan Director Penny Lane's (CUFF 2016 selection NUTS! and CUFF 2019 Best Documentary Feature HAIL SATAN?) decision to become a “Good Samaritan” by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger launches her on an unexpected funny, intimate, and provocative quest to understand why everyone seems to think she’s crazy.
Cult Hero Manager-summoning control freak Kallie Jones teams up with washed-up cult buster Dale Domazar to rescue her husband from the clutches of a cannibalistic death cult.
Dad & Step-Dad Jim and Dave, a dad and a step-dad, have trouble bonding during a trip upstate with their 13-year-old son, Branson.
Found Footage Festival Vol. 10 Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (The Colbert Report) are back with an all-new guided tour through their latest VHS finds.
Free Time Approaching the end of his twenties, a man impulsively decides to quit his cushy desk job and "embrace life", only to realize he doesn’t have one.
Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary British Invasion icons THE ZOMBIES reflect on their musical path from teenage friends to legends in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Influencer While struggling on a solo backpacking trip in Thailand, social media influencer Madison meets CW, who travels with ease and shows her a more uninhibited way of living, but CW's interest in her takes a darker turn.
It Lives Inside An Indian-American teenager struggling with her cultural identity has a falling out with her former best friend and, in the process, unwittingly releases a demonic entity that grows stronger by feeding on her loneliness.
Kim's Video The documentary follows cinephile and filmmaker, David Redmon, on a seemingly quixotic quest to track down the whereabouts of the massive video collection of the nowdefunct Kim’s Video, an iconic NYC video rental store with more than 55,000 beloved and rare movies.
Kokomo City Directed by two-time Grammy nominee D. Smith, KOKOMO CITY takes up a seemingly simple mantle — to present the stories of four Black transgender sex workers in New York and Georgia.
Little Richard: I Am Everything A documentary about the one of a kind rock 'n' roll icon who shaped the world of music.
Mister Organ Journalist David Farrier (TICKLED) is drawn into a game of cat and mouse with a mysterious individual. Delving deeper he unearths a trail of court cases, royal bloodlines and ruined lives, in this true story of psychological warfare.
Nightsiren A young woman returns to her native mountain village, searching for answers about her troubled childhood, but as she tries to uncover the truth, ancient superstitions lead the villagers to accuse her of witchcraft and murder.
One Road To Quartzsite A menagerie of snowbirds, crustpunks and libertarians make their annual winter pilgrimage to a sleepy desert town in Arizon in this vérité documentary.
Onyx The Fortuitous And The Talisman Of Souls Fledgling occultist Onyx and a group of worshipers attend a once-in-a-lifetime ritual at their idol BARTOK THE GREAT'S mansion.
Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game Based on the true story of Roger Sharpe, a young midwesterner who overturned New York City's 35 year-old ban on pinball machines.
Polaris A young girl raised by a polar bear pursues her destiny after escaping capture by brutal warriors’ intent on killing her mother.
Relax, I'm From The Future The Canadian comedy sci-fi feature based on the TIFF selected short of the same name, follows Casper (Rhys Darby, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS), a charming, but embarrassingly underprepared Time Traveller, now trapped in the past.
Satanic Hispanics An anthology of 5 short films from some of the leading Latin filmmakers in the horror genre, spotlighting Hispanic talent both in front and behind the camera.
Satan Wants You The shocking story of how a young woman and her psychiatrist ignited the global Satanic Panic with their bestselling memoir Michelle Remembers.
Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat-Cereal Cartoon Party! In this all-new program, you’ll see both faves and obscurities spanning the '30s through the '90s, all punctuated with vintage commercials, PSAs and station IDs! Jammies Encouraged! ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT CEREAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Secret Screening One of the annual traditions of the Calgary Underground Film Festival is a special screening of a highly anticipated film. Settle in and enjoy the surprise! The film will not be revealed until showtime.
Shorts Package: AUDACIOUS, BOLD AND CUNNING The subjects of these shorts are anything but conventional as they blaze their own paths.
Shorts Package: CHILLING ENCOUNTERS For people that like their dark and creepy tales in small doses, this package delivers the thrills they seek.
Shorts Package: QUESTIONABLE COUPLINGS This selection of shorts show that getting to know someone can shape your life in ways both small and shocking.
Showing Up A sculptor (Michelle Williams) preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends, in Kelly Reichardt's vibrant and captivatingly funny portrait of art and craft.
Sick Of Myself A self-declared "unromantic comedy", the Cannes 2022 Selection SICK OF MYSELF stars NINJABABY's Kristine Kujath Thorp, as Signe, a young barista who fakes a mysterious flesh-eating skin disease to gain sympathy.
Sisu When an ex-soldier who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness tries to take the loot into the city, Nazi soldiers led by a brutal SS officer battle him in this highly-anticipated B-movie.
Squaring The Circle (The Story Of Hipgnosis) The story of the creative geniuses behind the iconic album art design studio, Hipgnosis, responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time.
Stéphane A young director desperate for success accepts help from a former film stuntman so that he can finish his film on time.
The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster Inspired by Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL AND HER MONSTER tells the story of Vicaria, a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured.
The Artifice Girl When an internet vigilante develops a revolutionary new computer program to combat online predators, its rapid advancement leads to serious questions of autonomy, oppression, and what it really means to be human.
The Dirties (2013) - 10th Anniversary Screening Two best friends are filming a comedy about getting revenge on the bullies at their high school, in the breakout feature film debut from Canadian director Matt Johnson, whose latest film BLACKBERRY is also showing at CUFF 2023.
The Elderly Manuel’s world falls apart when Rosa, his wife of decades, suddenly commits suicide, in this shocking Spanish horror film.
The Elephant 6 Recording Co. The inside story of the 1990s psychedelic rock bands Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Apples in Stereo: the founding groups behind the Elephant 6 collective.
The Five Devils Lea Mysius follows her celebrated directorial debut AVA with a sensitive, surreal, spellbinding second feature about motherhood and repressed love.
The Green Butchers (2003) - 20th Anniversary Screening In this dark absurdist comedy from CUFF alumnus Anders Thomas Jensen (MEN & CHICKEN, RIDERS OF JUSTICE), business really starts to pick up for two Danish friends after they accidentally sell a dead electrician as marinated "chicken" at their new butcher shop.
The Wrath Of Becky After living off the grid for two years, Becky finds herself going toe to toe against the leader of a fascist organization, on the eve of an organized attack.
Thunder: The Life & Death Of Arturo Gatti Montreal boxer, and world champion Arturo Gatti, was a legend in his time, but his mysterious death has remained suspiciously unresolved for years. This documentary series from Calgary director Guillaume Carlier explores forensic evidence that has been overlooked, and uncovers a new narrative about Arturo that will change everything.
A Wedding Day For newlyweds Brad and Jill, it seems the honeymoon is over before it even began. When an eccentric stranger named Jess White stumbles into the couples first argument as man and wife, the day takes an abrupt turn and changes their lives forever.
Bowling 4 Eva A troubled teen girl spends her time trolling men online and bowling with her grandfather while becoming increasingly medicated by her psychiatrist.
Butchy'S Big Pitch Using an audio recording of his downstairs neighbour in Queens, New York, filmmaker Nick Prueher and animator Chrissy Fellmeth bring Frank "Butchy" Carrado's TV commercial idea to life.
Captcha A young man struggles to prove his own humanity after he finds himself unable to tick the definitive "I'm not a robot" box in an online CAPTCHA test.
Close 30-somethings Sam and Jamie just want to ditch their raggedy old sofa and go for brunch. But when they lock themselves out in the communal stairwell, they’re forced to consider that maybe they aren’t as close as they thought.
David At The Door The short documentary looks at David Milgaard, an advocate for wrongfully convicted prisoners.
Dead Enders A disaffected, young gas station clerk on the midnight shift must learn to give a damn about something after malevolent mind-controlling bugs are set loose by irresponsible oil drillers.
Deadline A story of a brave friendship and solidarity between two senior ladies sickened by society's disregard and disrespect.
Diaspora In a Black suburb, a couple begins to notice that their neighbours are disappearing and white people are moving in. Soon they discover that something much darker is happening.
Everything I Learned When My House Burned Down After Jacy Catlin burns down his remote log cabin, including all of his family's belongings, he returns to his former home to shoot one last comedy. Co-directed by Catlin and The Found Footage Festival's Joe Pickett, the short film is shot against a backdrop of the remains of Catlin’s actual burned-down home.
Frankie And The Doll Face to face with a deranged bloodthirsty doll, store manager Frankie must conquer her fear of demons once and for all, but how?
Gnomes Unknowingly, a girl enters the habitat of a tribe of killer gnomes during her daily run. Lured by mysterious glowing mushrooms, she'll soon wish she'd stayed on her usual tracks.
Harbor Island A comedian lives in a van and records non-sequiturs and dad jokes while stalking the industrial zone at night
In The Dark A charming date takes a nightmarish turn when the lights go out.
I Still Haven'T Found What I'M Looking For A U2 themed proposal at Joshua Tree goes awry when Paul realizes his wife to be is not a fan.
"Julia" Touring actors, Jasper and Dario, arrive at ‘digs’ one evening and walk into a peculiar setup. Unintentionally they inflate tensions with their odd host when one causes a blow-up between him and his unusual ‘wife’.
Legs Joy and Harry are trying to have a baby. After swallowing a spider in her sleep, Joy develops an insatiable appetite for flies, and it dawns on her that there may be more than one way of becoming a mother.
Little Things Are Scary A mother, voiced by Carrie Coon, sits in a rocking chair with her infant child late at night. As she rocks away, she attempts to soothe her baby with a lullaby of whatever words come to mind.
Mikey'S Cubby Computy teaches Mikey about the internet.
Nash 9 year old Nash is determined to find the monster that killed his mother; his father George is equally determined to stop him.
Other Cats To Nip At a high school carnival, a respected city English teacher finds herself acting as the famous superhero Catwoman. She wears a costume that allows her to exercise her own superpower: domination.
Pool Party Outcast Freya attempts to make it through the night at her childhood best friend's 17th birthday party without revealing her most dangerous secret.
Pretty Pickle As he spends more time with his new girlfriend, a young man begins to privately dwell upon one of her quirks, leading him to a troubling discovery.
Pro Pool A recent graduate with a bachelor's degree in History and Civilization, struggles to find a job in his field and accepts a position as a clerk in a pool shop. Feeling down, he navigates his new profession as best he can.
Ringworms After discovering her boyfriend’s plan to propose on their weekend vacation, a young girl undergoes a crisis of commitment which attracts the attention of a sinister local cult.
Sentimental Value A trip inside a piano uncovers what's wrong with a depressed musician.
Sleep Study A restless new mother confronts a dangerous terror whenever she tries to sleep.
Spinning Robert takes his beloved 3.2 litre saloon for a spin in the neighbourhood. But his world is crumbling, and his car is merely a symptom of male vulnerability and denial.
The 200 Phenomena Of Calgary, Alberta, Canada In 2009 an anonymous notebook containing 200 stories of occult and magical phenomena was found at the University of Calgary. Since appearing online, the stories have formed new mythologies around the seemingly mundane city of Calgary.
The Druid'S Hand An ostracized town priest and his acolyte face the ramifications of their dark past. Guilt turns to paranoia as an evil ignites their once peaceful town.
The (Other) 700 Club At the intersection of Broadway and Thornton St in Brooklyn, a loose community of delivery workers gathers every day to hang out and share their experiences while waiting for their next job.
They Call It... Red Cemetery! Among the crosses of an old cemetery, two outlaws have a dispute over honour, companionship and greed.
They Grow Up So Fast When Brian meets Amy after a night out on the town, things move a little faster than he anticipated.
Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie A surrealist exploration of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) based on the lived experience of a Black, nonbinary, disabled artist and former sex worker.
Vertical Valor After being drafted for World War III, a group of burnout skateboarders are recruited into a casualty notification unit.
We Forgot About The Zombies Two dudes think they found the cure for zombie bites.
Wild Card Two strangers are brought together by a video dating service.
Write A Song About Heartache A musician finds a painful shortcut to writing new hits.
Indie Game Bash Indie Game Bash, an exhilarating indie game fighting tournament, is coming to the iconic Globe Cinema in Calgary for one night only during the Calgary Underground Film Festival.
Live Script Reading: Now, I Am A Bear Join a cast of actors for a live script reading of the absurdist comedy NOW, I AM A BEAR. The feature is a bittersweet exploration of nostalgia, regret, and the drive we all feel to get back to nature, whether nature likes it or not.
Panel: Film Strategy, Distribution, Sales & Publicity! Some of the industry's leading minds gather to talk about how to distribute a film in 2023. It’s both hard and fun, and the panel will be less hard and more fun, we swear! Moderated by James Emanuel Shapiro - Executive Vice President, US Distribution; XYZ FILMS.
The Calgary Underground Film Festival
